Metal panel building system

ABSTRACT

A metal building has panelled walls and roof, being based upon a frame incorporating a water barrier, to guide any water leakage outwardly of the building. The panelling for a major area such as the roof consists of roll-up prefabricated panels in permanently connected relation by way of knuckle joints, each panel portion having a plurality of corrugations to facilitate ready rolling and unrolling of the predetermined length of panel. This type of panelling may also serve as wall panelling, as well as for the roll-up door of the building. Where planar type (non-corrugated) wall panels are used, the panel end or ends may have a flange portion, to preclude bowing of the panel. The wall panels, in combination with corner piers of the building, are load bearing, to support the roof and applied snow loads. The corner piers may consist of two planar panels for easy shipping.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX

[0003] Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] 1. This invention is directed to a system for constructing prefabricated buildings incorporating metal panels, and to the buildings thus constructed.

[0005] 2. In the past, many metal buildings have incorpoated prefabricated, interlocked substantially planar panels as a structural skin portion for the walls and roof.

[0006] In the case of wall constructions the panels and their seams are run vertically down the wall and for roofs, the panels and their seams extend down the slope of the roof.

[0007] The sheet metal panels are longitudinally corrugated in order to impart stiffness to them, generally using a so-called standing seam to interlock adjoining panels.

[0008] The adjoined panels have at their adjoining longitudinal edges seam members that extend at rightangles to the plane of the panel. The upstanding seam member of a first panel is entered between a pair of seam member portions of an adjoining second panel, which members form an envelope within which the first panel seam member is sandwiched.

[0009] Such panels are stacked in nested relation for transportation, and are somewhat vulnerable to shipping and handling damage, being also labour-intensive, when being assembled, while the standing seam is limited in tensile strength, owing to the orientation of the seam members at right-angles to the plane of the panels, which imposes significant bending moments on the seam members when laterally tensioned in a sense to separate adjoining panels. This facilitates a cam-like opening action, to slide the members out of engagement, thus opening wide the seam.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention provides a system for constructing a metal panel building wherein a major structural area of the building skin consists of interlocked panels incorporating a knuckle joint oriented in substantially coplanar relation with the panels. The assembled knuckle joints are sealed tight, by a compression roller.

[0011] Each panel has a series of longitudinal corrugations, which facilitate deformation of the panel laterally, permitting the forming of a series of joined panels into a roll, without creating permanent deformation. Thus, the rolled panels bend elastically, without taking a permanent set, and are readily unrolled to their original state.

[0012] A series of such interlocked panels, of predetermined width and length and having a desired agregate length consisting of the sum of the respective widths of the panel series, may form a surface portion of a building.

[0013] For example, a side of a pitched roof may consist of a single roll of panels in assembled relation, being moved into position, unrolled, and secured in place.

[0014] Such a series of knuckle-jointed panels with multiple corrugations can be factory-made and rolled into a bundle for transportation to a site, and there unrolled into place.

[0015] Other structural components of the building may all be readily formed from sheet metal on a press brake.

[0016] Other attributes of a subject building in accordance with the present invention include: a drop-in floor, carried upon floor joists, and having a surrounding water deflector to prevent the ingress of water from the walls, onto the floor.

[0017] The water deflector may comprise part of sill members that underlie the walls.

[0018] The water deflector may form an integral part of the sill member.

[0019] A door frame consists of a pair of corner piers with a door header secured therebetween. Four such corner piers form the four corners of the building.

[0020] The corner piers, together with the wall panels are load bearing structures that support the roof, and any loading such as snow loads to which the building is subjected.

[0021] The structure of the door frame lends itself to use as a drive-through building having a door at each end. The alternative provision of a side door in place of, or complemetary to an end door or doors is contemplated,

[0022] The end door or doors are preferably of the roll-up variety, for which the building construction is well suited.

[0023] The door threshold incorporates a reinforced inclined water dam, adapted to facilitate the entry of a vehicle, the tires or tracks of which can readily roll over the dam.

[0024] The wall panels of one embodiment, with each panel having a pair of side flanges and a planar panel surface, include at least one end flange, to preclude lateral bowing or “humping” of the panel, in order to maintain a substantially planar wall surface.

[0025] The zones of juncture, where panels form a junction with other panels or with other elements of the building structure, may be substantially insect-proofed by the provision of a layer of glass fiber, compressesed between adjoining building elements to form a barrier to the ingress of most flying and crawling insects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Certain embodiments of the invention are described by way of illustration, without limitation thereto other than as set forth in the accompanying claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0027]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a building embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

[0028]FIG. 2 is an interior perpective view in elevation of a corner pier of the FIG. 1 embodiment;

[0029]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of frame portions of the FIG. 1 embodiment in assembled relation;

[0030]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a threshold member of the FIG. 3 embodiment;

[0031]FIG. 5 is a view from above of a portion of the roof of the FIG. 1 embodiment

[0032]FIG. 6 is a line drawing, in end view, showing the details of the panels of the FIG. 5 embodiment;

[0033]FIG. 7 is an enlargement showing the seam detail of a pair of panels of FIG. 6;

[0034]FIG. 8 is a perspective line drawing showing the details of the floor framing of the FIG. 1 embodiment;

[0035]FIG. 9 is a section taken at 9-9 of FIG. 8;

[0036]FIGS. 10A and 10B are interior perspective views of FIG. 1 wall panel embodiments, shown in a prone position;

[0037]FIG. 11 shows a building in accordance with the invention having roll-panelling for all major surface areas;

[0038]FIG. 12 is a photographic representation from within a building, looking towards the partly closed roll-up door;

[0039]FIG. 13 is a part section line drawing of the twin peak joists and the roof, showing the peak cap and associated insect proofing; and,

[0040]FIG. 14 is a plan line diagram, sectioned at a median height of an alternative two-panel embodiment of a corner pier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0041] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 10A/10B, a metal panelled building 20 has a shallow pitched roof 22 supported by four corner piers 24 and walls 26.

[0042] The walls 26 consist of interlocked panels 28 and 30, which are assembled by sliding them together on site.

[0043] The roof 22 consists of two sets of roll-up panelling 32 (see FIGS. 5, 6 and 7).

[0044] The building 20 includes a supporting floor framework 34 (see FIGS. 8 and 9) having a perimeter sill 36, the members 38 of which receive joist members 40 in inserted relation therein. The flooring member 42 (see below) has been omitted from FIG. 1 for clarity of illustration.

[0045] The joist members 40 support a flooring member 42 such as plywood (see FIG. 9).

[0046] The perimeter sill 36 includes an upper dam portion 44, illustrated as being a unitary portion of the members 38. It will be understood that a separate dam portion may be used.

[0047] Turning to FIG. 3, the roof 22 is carried upon profiled rafters 23, 25 and 27, which are supported at their ends on portal beam 29, which is carried by corner piers 24.

[0048] A threshold member 46 (see FIG. 4) seats upon the perimeter sill 26 of the floor framework 34, the member 46 having a triangular section dam portion 48, located within the closure line of a roll-down door (not shown), to prevent the ingress of rainwater that may drain down from the door. The triangular shape of dam portion 48 facilitates the passage of vehicle wheels over the threshold.

[0049] The roll down door may utilize roll-up panelling similar to the roof panelling 32, in the usual manner of such doors.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 11, the major surfaces of the building 50 all consist of roll-up panelling, as detailed in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, wherein each panel 32 consists of a plurality of individual panels 52 that are joined by knuckle joints 54. The panels 52 are corrugated, being illustrated as each having five corrugations with 45 degree inclined flanks. The panels 32 are unitary, in that they are usually of full width to match the half-roof width or the wall height, as the case may be, and are readily rolled for transportation and handling, and unrolled in-situ for intallation.

[0051] In FIG. 7, the single knuckle joint 54 is shown in an uncompressed condition, for purposes of illustration, it being understood that the joints 54 are rolled tight closed during manufacture, to effectively seal them. They are of twenty six gauge sheet steel.

[0052] Referring to FIG. 12, a roll-up door 60 is suspended in the usual manner, being carried on brackets (not shown). The original photograph was taken within a ten foot long by eight feet wide building.

[0053] In FIG. 13, the twinned rafters 27, in back-to-back relation support the upper edges of the two roll-up roof panels 32.

[0054] A layer of glass wool 62 on the upper flanges of the rafters 27 serves to seal-off the irregularities formed by the corrugated face of the panels 32.

[0055] A roof cap 64 contains those portions of the glass wool 62 which protrude upwardly between the ends of the roof panels 32.

[0056] The corner pier 24A of FIG. 14 is adjoined with the adjacent panel 28, toaid shipping. 

1. A prefabricated metal building having a major structural stationary load bearing portion of predetermined surface area consisting of roll-up panels in adjoining side-by-side relation, wherein adjoining ones of said panels have interlocked joints at the respective adjoining edges, and said panels each has a plurality of longitudinal corrugations extending along the panel, to facilitate forming a plurality of said panels into a readily handled roll of predetermined size and weight.
 2. The building as set forth in claim 1, said panel corrugations having a pitch distance in the range of two to seven inches.
 3. A prefabricated metal building having metal wall panels of profiled cross section mounted in supported relation upon a longitudinal sill structure, a floor within said building extending in close proximity with said wall panels, said sill structure including an upstanding dam portion interposed between lower edge portions of said panels and said floor, whereby in use, water moving downwardly of said panels is deflected away from said floor and towards the exterior of the building.
 4. The building as set forth in claim 3, wherein said sill structure and said dam portion form a unitary structure, including an open box section girder
 5. The building as set forth in claim 3 wherein said metal wall panels include an edge flange extending normal to the plane of said profiled cross section, to stiffen said panel against lateral bowing deformation.
 6. The building as set forth in claim 3, wherein said metal wall panels are load bearing, roof-supporting members.
 7. The building as set forth in claim 1, wherein adjoining panel edges have a knuckle joint consisting of a pair of reversed, mutually engaging U-section end portions in substantially aligned relation with surfaces of said panel, to facilitate rolling and unrolling of a plurality of said panels in mutually joined relation into a said roll.
 8. The building as set forth in claim 7, said corrugations having a length to width ratiogreater than 12:1.
 9. The building as set forth in claim 7, wherein said corrugation length to width ratio is in the range 15:1 to 80:1.
 10. The building as set forth in claim 1 wherein said roll-up panels are light weight metal having a guage as low as 26 gauge. 